en.Wedoany.com Reported - Apple Inc. issued an official announcement on April 20, local time, stating that John Ternus, the current Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, will succeed Tim Cook as Apple's Chief Executive Officer, effective September 1, 2026. Cook will transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the Board, continuing to participate in strategic decisions and guidance on major company matters. This transition plan was unanimously approved by the Board of Directors and is the result of Apple's long-term succession planning. Cook will continue to perform his CEO duties for the remainder of the summer to ensure a smooth transition. Ternus will formally join Apple's Board of Directors on the same day. Arthur Levinson, who has served as Apple's Non-Executive Chairman for the past 15 years, will transition to the role of Lead Independent Director, effective September 1.
In an internal letter to all employees, Cook stated that serving as Apple's CEO and being entrusted with leading such an exceptional company has been the greatest honor of his life. He described Ternus as possessing an engineer's mind, an innovator's soul, and a leadership character of integrity and honesty. Cook highlighted Ternus's innumerable contributions over the past 25 years at Apple and stated he is the right person to lead Apple into the future. In his own internal letter, Ternus responded that he has spent almost his entire career at Apple, having had the privilege of working under Steve Jobs and receiving ongoing guidance from Cook. He described it as a great honor to have helped shape products and experiences that change the world.
Accompanying senior management adjustments have been implemented simultaneously. Johnny Srouji, Senior Vice President of Hardware Technologies, is promoted to the newly created position of Chief Hardware Officer, effective immediately, responsible for the overall planning and execution of the company's chip and hardware strategy. Following Ternus's departure from the hardware engineering leadership role, Tom Mariyappan will succeed him, reporting directly to Srouji. In March of this year, Apple completed another round of key management adjustments, with former Meta Chief Legal Officer Jennifer Newstead officially joining as Senior Vice President and General Counsel, succeeding the retiring Kate Adams.
Cook joined Apple in March 1998 as Senior Vice President of Worldwide Operations, succeeded Jobs as CEO in August 2011, and has served for nearly 15 years, making him the longest-serving CEO in Apple's history. During his tenure, Apple's market capitalization grew from approximately $350 billion to $4 trillion, annual revenue increased from $108 billion in fiscal year 2011 to over $416 billion in fiscal year 2025, and the global active device installed base surpassed 2.5 billion units. The Services business scaled beyond $100 billion, the self-developed chip strategy was fully implemented, Apple Watch and AirPods grew into multi-billion dollar categories, and Vision Pro opened a new frontier in spatial computing.
Ternus, aged 50, joined Apple's product design team in 2001, was promoted to Vice President of Hardware Engineering in 2013, and became Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering in 2021. The hardware engineering team he leads oversees the entire product line including iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods, and Vision Pro. He spearheaded the complete transition of the Mac from the Intel platform to Apple silicon and played a central role in major design iterations of the iPhone. At a critical juncture where Apple is accelerating its AI strategy and deeply integrating generative artificial intelligence into its operating systems and hardware ecosystem, Ternus's succession, with his hardware engineering background, is seen by external observers as a significant signal of Apple's intent to strengthen the deep integration of products and AI and ensure the continuation of its integrated software and hardware advantage.
After transitioning to Executive Chairman, Cook will focus on long-term strategic direction and key external relationships, while Ternus will be fully responsible for day-to-day operations and product decisions. Apple Board Chairman Arthur Levinson stated that Cook leaves behind an extraordinary legacy, and Ternus's technical depth and product vision will lead Apple into a new cycle of innovation.
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